ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. — Bradford & Bigelow (B&B) has been in the book printing business long enough to know what its customers want, need and value most. Very simply, Bradford & Bigelow’s clients require quality, speed, competitive pricing and no excuses!

These factors led to the creation of a world-class supply chain solution built around both a conventional printing and binding platform and a high-speed digital workflow. The most recent acquisition that directly serves customer demands for shorter-run color books is the Screen Truepress Jet520. Slated for installation in early October, the full-color inkjet web press is identical to the Truepress Jet520 that went into production at Bradford & Bigelow last January.

As an ISO 9000 Certified Company, “We measure twice and cut once on every capital expenditure,” said John Galligan, CEO. “Our first Truepress Jet520 has given us the burst capacity to meet and exceed the most demanding client schedules. It has made our Timson web offset presses more productive as well by allowing us to shift smaller color jobs to the inkjet platform. With a second Truepress coming online, B&B will take quality and service to the next level.”

“This upgrade represents a very nice win for B&B and our customers,” stated Larry Bisso, vice president of business development.

Under Galligan’s leadership, Bradford & Bigelow has grown from a four-person shop in a South Boston loft to one of North America’s top specialty printers. Bradford & Bigelow currently occupies a modern facility spanning more than 100,000 square feet in Newburyport, a picturesque seaside community located 35 miles north of Boston. B&B operates around the clock, seven days a week, producing 8 1/2 x 11-inch educational books, training manuals, secure test booklets, health care directories, election materials, financial reports and industrial catalogs. The focus on one trim size greatly reduces lead times and costs. Within the markets it serves, Bradford & Bigelow is always the number-one or number-two supplier for its major clients.

The Truepress Jet520 plays an important role in maintaining that market leadership. Designed to provide a competitive advantage in document production, the press prints on inkjet media, recycled paper and virtually any general purpose roll paper. It excels at printing black-and-white and color pages, with or without variable data, reliably and cost-effectively. Screen’s Equios workflow system automates job management, including accurate variable imposition and consistent color management. Clients are able to reduce lead times, obsolescence and shipping costs. 

“Right out of the gate, the Truepress Jet520 exceeded every metric we established: print quality, uptime, head life, low energy consumption, a simple paper path with minimal waste and excellent ink mileage,” said Rick Dunn, executive vice president. “The lower materials costs and energy savings are helping B&B’s bottom line every day.”

Increased capacity, speed, backup, redundancy and excellent support from Screen were key factors in Bradford & Bigelow’s investment decision.

“The Truepress Jet520 has been a tremendous addition to our platform, averaging more than 20 million impressions per month,” Dunn said. “The press tends to fill up quickly from jobs shifted over from our Timson ZMR presses, as well as from new revenue streams. It is so productive and efficient that it was an easy decision to purchase the second press.”

The investment in digital inkjet technology contributes significantly to Bradford & Bigelow’s goal of providing the most environmentally friendly print platform in North America. 

“At Bradford & Bigelow, ‘environmentally friendly’ is an everyday practice, not just a slogan,” Galligan said. “Energy consumption is the top environmental and economic issue for printers today. The Truepress Jet520 does not need the costly and wasteful dryers that other pigment ink-based machines require. You can’t claim to be environmentally friendly and run these massive ovens 24/7.”